Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for his resignation by US officials, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, after a tense Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump. The encounter, which was meant to reset US-Ukraine relations, reportedly turned confrontational, prompting criticism from American lawmakers. Graham and House Speaker Mike Johnson later suggested Zelenskyy should step aside or send someone else to negotiate with the US.
Speaking to reporters before leaving the UK, Zelenskyy dismissed Graham's remarks, emphasising that only Ukrainians have the right to decide their leadership. In a sharp rebuke, he remarked that Graham could take Ukrainian citizenship if he wanted a say in the country's leadership.
"I can give [Lindsay Graham] citizenship of Ukraine, and he will become a citizen of our country. And then his voice will start to gain weight, and I will hear him as a citizen of Ukraine on the topic of who must be the president. The president of Ukraine will have to be chosen not in Lindsay Graham's home but in Ukraine," he said.
However, Zelenskyy acknowledged one scenario where he would be willing to step down-if his resignation secured Ukraine's NATO membership. "I have said that I am exchanging for NATO membership, then it means I have fulfilled my mission," he stated. At the same time, he suggested that replacing him would not be straightforward, as it would require barring him from participating in elections.
"To change me, it will not be easy because it is not enough to simply hold elections. You would need to prevent me from participating. And it will be a bit more difficult."
The backlash against Zelenskyy comes after his high-stakes meeting with Trump. Before the meeting, Graham had privately urged Zelenskyy to tread carefully. "I told him this morning, 'Don't take the bait. Don't let the media or anyone else get you into an argument with President Trump,'" Graham later told reporters.
But after the meeting, Graham took a drastically different stance, calling it a "complete, utter disaster" and questioning whether the US could "ever do business with Zelenskyy again".
He added, "What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go in business with."
Despite the fallout, Zelenskyy confirmed that communication between Ukraine and the Trump administration has continued, though "not on my level."
Source: India Today